Proposed US military base in Syria sparks controversy

Ahead of Syria’s new interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House on Monday, November 10, 2025, informed sources claimed that the United States is seeking to establish a military presence at an airbase in Syria.

The sources said that this unprecedented move would help enable a security pact that US is brokering between Syria and Israel, signaling a significant deviation from Damascus’ past foreign policy alignment; which was closer to Iran. Instead, this partnership reveals Syria’s strategic realignment with Washington.

Syria denies the reports

On November 6, 2025, informed source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry denied the aforementioned claims, claiming that was revealed is “false.” The state news agency SANA cited the source saying, “Work is underway to transfer the partnerships and understandings that were necessarily made with provisional entities to Damascus, within the framework of joint political, military and economic coordination.”

United Nations Security Council lifts sanctions on Syrian officials

Simultaneously, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has removed sanctions on Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa as well as Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

The decision came due to a US-draft resolution submitted to the council, further enhancing Washington and Damascus’ recent rapprochement. All UNSC members voted in favor of the resolution, with only China abstaining.

US President Donald Trump boasted Sharaa that same day, saying that “I think he’s doing a very good job,” adding that “it’s a tough neighborhood, and he’s a tough guy, but I got along with him very well. And a lot of progress has been made with Syria.” Trump reaffirmed his country’s stance on sanctions, claiming that “We did take the sanctions off Syria in order to give them a fighting shot.” Meanwhile, Russia, a longtime supporter of the former regime and past record against Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), offered a positive and promising move towards Damascus but not only refraining from vetoing the resolution, but even voting in favor of it.  Moscow’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said that his country supported the resolution because it “most importantly ... reflects the interests and aspirations of the Syrian people themselves.”